Gender Inclusive Development Results Bangladesh Third Rural Infrastructure Development Project

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1 Gender Inclusive Development Results Bangladesh Third Rural Infrastructure Development Project Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Infrastructure Projects Asia Pacific Regional Meeting November 2008, Manila Session 1: Learning from Success and Getting Results Ferdousi Sultana Begum Bangladesh Resident Mission Asian Development Bank The views expressed in this paper are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms.

2 If we ignore 50% of the population, what benefit are we giving? Whatever we do, we have to find out how women could be involved and be a partner [Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) engineer] We understand now -engineering is not just bricks and mortar. We learned that we need to be working with people, so we had to earn the capacity to address soft issues as well as issues with engineered solutions.

3 Agency: Local Government Engineering Department, Bangladesh Partners: ADB, SIDA, IFAD, JBIC, GoB and LGIs Project Period : to

4 Objectives of the Project Improvement of rural infrastructure: feeder roads, bridges and culverts along rural roads, rural markets, flood refuge and boat landing facilities. Sustain the benefits of the improved infrastructure by involving local governments and beneficiaries in the funding and carrying out of maintenance activities, and which can be replicated throughout the country.

5 Components Rural Road network: Bridge and culverts, Upazila Road (Feeder Road Type-B), Growth Center Markets and Boat Landing: Growth Centre Markets, Women Market Sections (WMS), Ghat/Boat Landing facilities Flood response schemes and participatory development: Flood Refuge, Submersible Roads and Routine Maintenance and Tree Plantation, Union Council Complex Institutional Development: Incremental staff, training. Technical assistance

6 Impressive Gender Equality Results Achieved 1 Women s s increased access to economic resources 2,200 destitute women employed via labor contracting societies 1800 shops allocated to women in 183 women market sections 1800 women traders received shop management training and became member of market traders association 1334 women received training on income generating activities Women s s participation in all project elements Decision making about infrastructure designs and locations (women market corners, flood shelters, ghats) Participation in O&M of infrastructure: 3210 women trained and employed for 2 years in routine maintenance generating 2.34 million days work

7 Impressive Gender Equality Results Achieved 2 Practical benefits to women Women s s employment in construction, tree planting, and maintenance: 4.85 million working days for women vs million for men Household nutrition improved Privacy for women protected through infra design (26 flood refuge centers, women s s waiting corners and toilets in ghats,, women s s rooms and toilets in UP buildings by changing design)

8 Impressive Gender Equality Results Achieved 3 Strategic changes in gender relations Enhanced status of women traders in households Women in labor contracting societies managed their own bank accounts, gaining confidence Progress made towards gender wage parity through motivation of 604 contractors Access to local governance structures increased, facilitated by more women UP members and women s rooms in UP offices 938 women UP members trained on their role in financial management, local resource mobilization and O&M of markers and ghats Women s s physical mobility increased and men started accepting the new space

9 Success is due to Project Gender Action Plan (GAP) GAP as an opportunity to strengthen rationale and logic. Clarifies action areas, targets and roles of stakeholders Identifies resource needs Helps in monitoring

10 What does TRIDP GAP look like? Gender Action Plan developed during implementation considering each component and type of infrastructure to ensure women s s participation and benefits. It aimed to ensure women s: increased participation in planning and access as users participation in construction and, management and maintenance needs addressed in infrastructure design (sitting/selling space, toilet, water etc.); and improved economic gain through wage and self-employment employment

11 Component What does TRIDP GAP look like? Construction of Infrastructure Growth Center Market Women Market Section Gender Features Modification of designs of infrastructure to serve women s needs: inclusion of toilets, separate rooms, special corners, waiting rooms etc. Motivation of contractors to employ sizeable female labor; ensure safety, security, toilet and water; and pay equal wage for work of equal value Allocation of selling space for women Allocation of shops to women Training them on shop management Toilet and water facilities for women maintained by them

12 What does TRIDP GAP look like? Component Routine maintenance Flood refuge Gender Feature Wage employment opportunity for poor women Training on tree plantation and maintenance Individual bank account and compulsory savings Training on income generation skills towards end of the term Separate toilet and water facilities for women Private corner First aid box for emergency Off season use by NGOs for skills etc.

13 What does TRIDP GAP look like? Component Gender Features UP Complex Uniform design adopted with separate independent room with toilet facilities for female UP members Female UP members in market management Institutional Staff orientation on gender strengthening Sex desegregated data collection for M&E UP members orientation on GAD Female UP members training on their roles and GAD Resources were allocated to implement gender action plan. Gender Specialist and NGOs were hired to support.

14 Spillover Effects The project showcases multiple entry points for addressing gender equality and women empowerment results in rural infra The project achieved overall project implementation targets much faster and significant cost savings LGED replicated the model to many other similar projects and now a champion LGED recruited sociologists to address social and gender issues in all their projects Using this project and other similar projects, LGED developed gender M&E database for all their projects regardless of financiers LGED adopted its gender strategy and action plan on the basis of the results The Government formulated rules on the use of Women Market Section and LGED adopted uniform design for all UP complexes regardless of financiers.

15 LCS Women in Pavement Work